Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead were responsible for 12 of the 18 Irish-trained winners at the Cheltenham Festival last year, but 6 other trainers also had one winner each. So which Irish trainers, outside of the big three, should we be looking out for this year?
Joseph O’Brien
Concentrates more on the Flat than jumps nowadays but is still a potent force in this discipline and his small but select team will be headed by Banbridge in the Ryanair. Home By The Lee will probably take his chance in the Stayers and O’Brien looks set to be well represented in the handicaps. Solness looks to have a big chance in the Grand Annual, Comfort Zone will be very interesting if taking up his engagement in the Martin Pipe while the likes of Prairie Dancer (Pertemps Final), Nusret (Coral Cup, County or Martin Pipe) and Busselton (Ultima or Cross Country) will all have their supporters. Lark In The Mornin, Nurburgring, Cossack Chach and Harsh are all engaged in either one or both of the juvenile hurdles.
Gavin Cromwell
Boasts a 25% strike rate in Britain this season and has trained winners at every Cheltenham meeting bar one since the beginning of the term. Stable stalwart Flooring Porter has been running over fences of late but may well switch back to the smaller obstacles in an attempt to land the Stayers’ Hurdle for a third time. Inothewayurthinkin and Percival Legallois are likely to be big players in either the Ultima or the Kim Muir, Stumptown should give a good account in the former and My Mate Mozzie looks set to go well in the Grand Annual. Path d’Oroux (Grand Annual), Letsbeclearaboutit (Turners or Plate), Only By Night (Mares Novice) and Fameaftertheglory (Cross Country) are likely to be form part of what looks a strong team.
Martin Brassil
One of the best target trainers in the business, he came close in both the Ultima and the Coral Cup last year and will be hoping for better luck this time around. Fastorslow, a leading fancy for the Gold Cup, is undoubtedly his main hope but the progressive Built By Ballymore will warrant plenty of respect in the Martin Pipe. James’s Gate (Baring Bingham) and Ose Partir (Fred Winter) will need to find plenty of improvement if making the trip.
Barry Connell
Produced Marine Nationale in tip-top shape to land the Supreme last year and will be hoping to repeat the feat in the Arkle this time around. Enniskerry didn’t quite get home in the Galway Plate when last seen so the drop back to 2m for the Grand Annual should show him in a much better light.
Emmet Mullins
Has just four entered but it would come as no surprise if he ended the week with more than one winner. Corbetts Cross in the National Hunt Chase, Noble Yeats in the Stayers, So Scottish in the County Hurdle and Its On The Line in the Hunters’ are all likely to be major players.
Mouse Morris
Gentlemansgame gave him his first winner in Britain since Rule The World’s 2016 Aintree Grand National in the Charlie Hall in November and now bids to end a Cheltenham hoodoo that stretches back to War of Attrition in the 2006 Gold Cup. Franciscan Rock is likely to line up in either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe, while Foxy Jacks is sure to give a bold show in either the Cross-Country Chase or the Pertemps final.
John McConnell
A familiar face at Dundalk during the winter, he is no stranger to winners over jumps either and broke his Cheltenham duck courtesy of Seddon in the last year’s Plate. The now 11-y-o will have to defy a six-pound higher mark in his follow-up bid, but he does also hold entries in the Coral Cup and the Ryanair. Anna Bunina is another with multiple entries, Streets of Doyen – back in McConnell’s care after a spell with Tom Gibney – could take his chance in the Cross Country and the once-raced Lieutenant Mayne shouldn’t be dismissed in the Bumper.
John 'The Shark' Hanlon
Last but most certainly not least, this larger-than-life character has made no secret of the fact that he thinks Hewick can the Gold Cup to an already impressive cv. The celebrations are sure to last longer than the Festival itself if he does.
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